I would add to that: 7. Java was easy to learn, compared to languages similar in features, such as C++. 8. Java is easy to debug. No memory corruption, core d

I would add to that: 7. Java was easy to learn, compared to languages similar in features, such as C++. 8. Java is easy to debug. No memory corruption, core dumps etc. 9. Tooling: Java IDEs were fantastic! I cannot say the same about C++ IDEs, 20 years later.